Lecompton residents discuss bridge project

Lecompton  More than 75 Lecompton residents attended a City Council meeting Tuesday to share their concerns about possibly closing the Kansas River bridge in 2007.

At the meeting, council member Bruce Liese said the residents asked important questions about what the closing of the bridge would mean for them, including how far they would have to drive if the bridge were closed and if there were other options to the closing.

Liese called the meeting, where comments mirrored a Douglas County Commission meeting last year where the majority of residents attending said they wanted at least one lane of the bridge to remain open during renovation.

If the bridge were to close, the construction time would be reduced by about six months. But residents say it would cut off traffic between businesses and schools in the Lecompton and Perry communities.

Douglas and Jefferson county commissioners will meet June 28 to discuss the options.